After a long absence, due to my new venture a "family run" Cafe Bistro in South East Kent, I'm back....

To follow in the next few weeks, will be some great Kentish classics, using only the finest local ingredients.

Watch this space!

Churros with hot chocolate sauce.

I have been asked by a few friends to post a Spanish sweet dish recipe, the Spanish aren't a great dessert eating nation, they would rather eat fruit after a meal, such as watermelon, oranges, apples and peaches. They do however, eat a lot of sweet pastries for breakfast and for what they call "Merienda" which is a snack between either breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner. These sweet snacks are pretty much, always shop bought and can be, chocolate filled croissants and pastries, palmeras(chocolate covered puff pastry palmiers).
In the restaurants where sweets do appear on the menu, they are usually dishes that have been adopted by the Spanish and given a name change or are a slightly different take on the original recipe, such as Crema Catalan(which is their version of "Creme Brulee") flan(creme caramel) and profiteroles.
"So...what are you gonna post?" I hear you cry. One of the few sweet dishes I can think of that is "traditionally" Spanish is Churros..It is not strictly speaking a "Dessert" dish, as it is usually eaten for breakfast but hey...whos gonna tell??
In Andalucia, Spain, churros are made with deep-fried wheat flour and sold in spirals or wheels, which can be broken into edible portions after frying. These are generally called porras and calentitos or calientes, as opposed to the potato dough version made in the rest of Spain, also sold in the region but under the name Papitas or Calentitos de Patatas.
In parts of South East Spain, a much thinner dough is used which does not allow for the typical ridges to be formed on the surface of the churro. The final result has therefore a smooth surface and is more pliable and of a slightly thinner diameter than standard Spanish churros. Another difference is that sugar is never sprinkled on them as the flavour is not considered suitable. They are all eaten for breakfast and served with a hot chocolate sauce.
So...Here is my version of this Latin sweet dish, this recipe yields about 24 4-5" churros.

Ingredients:

(Churros)

1 cup water
2 Tbs brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup butter
1 cup white flour
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 to 1 tsp. ground cinnamon.
Large Piping bag.
Star piping nozzle(optional)

(Chocolate sauce).

150g dark chocolate, chopped
125mls (1/2 cup)double cream
2 tbs soft brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Method

(Chocolate sauce)

Combine chocolate, cream, brown sugar and vanilla essence in a small saucepan and stir over medium to low heat until chocolate melts and the ingredients are well combined.
Remove from heat and serve in small bowls or tea cups warm or at room temperature. (The sauce will thicken as it cools.) You can store in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 1 week.

(Churros)

Preheat 1 1/2 to 2 inches of vegetable oil in a 10 to 12 inch frying pan to 375 degrees F. In a separate dish mix the 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
In a medium sauce pan add the water, brown sugar, salt, and butter and heat to a good boil. Remove from the heat and add the flour. Stirring in the flour will take some muscle. Mix it in until well blended.
In a separate bowl, mix the eggs and vanilla together and then add this mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until well blended and all the egg is completely mixed in.
Fill your piping bag with the churro recipe dough and attach the largest star nozzle you have.(If you don't have a piping bag you can use a strong freezer bag with one corner cut out but you will have plain churros without the traditional ridges)
Test your oil by placing a small amount of dough in it. The dough should bubble up right away, if not wait a little while longer.
Once the oil is hot enough, squeeze some dough (with piping bag) into the oil about 4-5 inches long (use a finger or a small knife to cut the raw churro from the piping bag), Being careful not to burn yourself.
You should be able to cook 4 or 5 churros at a time. Cook them about 1 minute and turn them over with a slotted spoon. Cook an additional minute or two. You're looking for that nice golden brown color.
Remove the churros with the slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel-covered plate to absorb excess grease.
While still warm, roll each churro into the dish with the sugar and cinnamon until coated.

Now serve with the chocolate sauce and enjoy!

Albondigas

One of the more famous Spanish recipes for me I feel are are Spanish meatballs, meatballs are served in all tapas bars as a snack or an appetizer. Spanish meatballs are also made as a main dish at home. Albóndigas are also always offered as the starter in the set menu (menú del día) which Spanish restaurants and bars are required to offer to customers. There are lots of recipies for Spanish meatballs and I think this one includes the best from most of them!

Ingredients(4 servings)

(For meatballs)

200g minced pork
200g minced beef
100g minced bacon
1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
3 desertspoons soya sauce
2 desertspoons bread crumbs
1 tsp. of oregano
1 clove garlic
Olive oil

(For sauce)

2 small, ripe tomatoes
2 medium onions
2 garlic cloves
1 small glass of white wine
A little flour
Salt and pepper
1 Carrot
1 bayleaf
Tomato puré or tomate frito
Half a stock cube

Method

Mix the minced pork and beef with the minced bacon. Grate one onion and chop or crush garlic. Add the grated onion, chopped garlic, soya sauce, oregano, and breadcrumbs to the meat, and mix all ingredients together very very well.
Make small balls with the mixture - about the size of a golf ball. Coat them lightly in the flour (get a bowl, put some flour in and roll each ball around) and put all the balls on a large plate until you are ready to fry them.

Now make the sauce. Cut up the other onion and chop the rest of the garlic, and put them in a non-stick pan with a little olive oil, the fresh parsley and some salt and pepper. Fry gently until they are soft, and then blanch and peel the tomatoes(as in the Salmorejo recipe)cut out the cores, chop and add. Finally grate the carrot and add that too. Add the white wine, half a stock cube dissolved in half a cup of water, a bayleaf and a bit of tomato puré (or tomate frito if you live in Spain). Stir well and put on a low heat.
Put some olive oil in a non-stick frying pan, enough to cover the bottom of the pan, and fry the meatballs until they are brown all over. You don't have to use lots of oil - turn them over so that they cook on all sides. You will probably need to fry them in two or three batches, depending on the size of your frying pan. As each batch is ready, put the meatballs straight into the pan with the sauce, leave them to simmer in the sauce for about half an hour.
You can serve the meatballs on their own as a tapas dish, with a chunk of crusty baguette or as a main course accompanied by a mixed Spanish salad, the usual salad bits including green olives, asparagus and boiled eggs.
Or if you're like me, they are fantastic as a meatball sub. Mmmmm!

Salmorejo

This unusual creamed tomato based soup, originated in Córdoba, Andalucía, in the south of Spain.
It is made from tomatoes, bread, olive oil, vinegar and garlic. Salmorejo has a pinky-orange colour as with Gazpacho but Salmorejo is considerably thicker, because of the bread. In Andalucía this soup is also known as "Ardoria" depending on the region. Salmorejo is also the name given to a marinade typical of Canary Island cuisine. It is used to flavour meat before cooking, especially rabbit (conejo en salmorejo) which is a speciality of the islands. Typical marinade ingredients include salt, garlic, paprika and hot peppers.
So my take on this filling summer soup incorporates the two dishes ingredients, which I feel makes for a tastier dish.

Ingredients(4 Servings)

500g Tomates.
60g White bread(Baguette is best).
2-3 Cloves of garlic.
3 Tablespoons of white wine vinegar.
4 Tablespoons of good quality olive oil.
1 Red Jalapeno Chilli(You won't want all of this!).
1/2 Teaspoon of Paprika.
150g Diced Serrano ham.(If you can't get Serrano, Parma ham will do)
2 Chopped boiled eggs.
1 Teaspoon of brown sugar.
1/2 Teaspoon of sea salt.

Method.

First you need to skin your tomatoes, cut a small cross(not too deep)into the bottoms of the tomatoes. Bring a small pan of water to the boil and drop the tomatoes in, leave them for 10-12 seconds and then remove with a large saturated spoon. The skin will now peel very easily from from the four flaps made by the cross. Soak the bread in a little water, until tender, squeeze out the water.
Cut out the cores with a small paring knife, then roughly dice. Place the tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, paprika, brown sugar, sea salt and about 1/4 of the chilli(taste, if it needs more heat add a little at a time).
Add half the bread and blend. Continue adding the bread with the olive oil, until it reaches a smooth creamy consistency. Finally chill the soup and serve with a sprinkling of diced egg and Serrano ham, Serve with a chunk of crusty bread.

Paella

"La Paella" Is actually the name of a Spanish cooking pan, traditionally and preferably made from iron but now often made from stainless steel. The base of the Paella should be flat and of a good thickness. The pan is circular and has two rounded handles on opposite sides.

During the centuries following the introduction of rice to Spain, labourers of Valencia would use the Paella pan to cook rice, with what ever ingredients were readily available in the countryside.. tomatoes, onions, snails and on special occasions duck and rabbit were used. Only those better off, would be able to afford to use chicken. This Valencian dish became more widely known and by the nineteenth century "Paella Valenciana" had established itself.

In Spain today, the whole family would either march off to a restaurant to eat paella, or cook it themselves with everyone giving a help in hand, it all becomes a mixture of party, ceremony and debate or rather an arguement between the self acclaimed master paella cooks, who are all convinced they know the best way to make it!

Paella is still a very popular in Spain today, with the introduction of fresh shellfish such as mussels, squid, cigalas and langostionos, it has become a more elaborate dish. One of the main appeals to the Spanish of Paella, is it can be cooked in large quantities and will still taste good later that day and even the next day, which is a good thing as making a good Paella can be a laborious task.

So here is my take on "Paella" and of course with my love of shellfish, it includes many jewels of the sea.

Ingredients(6 servings):

600gr Mahatma Valencia rice(or just short grain/Pearl rice)
500gr Almejas(baby clams)
500gr Large prawns.
200gr Calamare(squid)
12 Fresh Mussels.
4 Blanched, peeled and chopped Tomatoes.
1 Medium Chopped Onion
1 Green Chopped Pepper.
2 Red Chopped Pepper.
150gr Peas.
150gr Cannelini Beans.
150gr Green beans.
4 Cloves Garlic.
Pinch Saffron.
Fresh Parsley.
Sea salt to taste.
1/2 Cup of Extra virgen olive oil.
Approx. 800ml Water.
A newspaper(will all become clear at the end)

Preparation:

Mussels: Wash the mussels removing the beards, throw away any that do not close when you place them in water.
Fresh Squid: Peel off the outer dark skin, pull out the insides, cut the tentacles from the head and set the tentacles to one side. Discard head and ink sack. Pull out the clear plastic like cartlidge and discard. cut into rings.
Baby Clams: Wash in water, then place in a bowl with some salt to draw out the sand. Discard any that are open.
Prawns: Set aside 6 prawns to keep whole, peel the rest, keeping the shells and heads to place in the 800ml of water and boil for 10 mins, set to one side.
Garlic: Puré the garlic, parsley and saffron in a mortar and pestle with a pinch of sea salt.
Tomatoes: Bring a small pan of oil to the boil, Cut out the cores from the tops of the tomatoes, cut a cross into the bottoms and place in the water for a 15 seconds remove and place in cold water, they will now peel easlily.

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a paella pan(or large frying pan), add chopped onion and peppers and fry gently for 4-5 mins, then add the chopped tomatoes and squid(including tenacles)and fry on a low heat for 8 mins.
Add the rice and stir well making sure it's thoroughly coated in oil, add the stock (you set aside earlier made with the prawn shells), clams and the garlic/saffron and parsley paste and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat, cover with a lid and simmer for approx 10 mins. add the prawns, peas and beans and stir(Check to see if it needs more salt). Arrange the mussels and the 6 whole prawns nicely on top, cover simmer for a further 10 mins, checking that it has enough water, add water if required but shake the pan by the handles rather than stirring. Continue to simmer until the rice is cooked, remove from heat cover with newspaper pages and let stand for a further 10 mins. Your Paella is now ready, serve with wedges of lemon(paella is great with lemon juice), a bowl of freshly made alioli and crusty baguette.

Sangría.

There is no such thing as "Traditional or Authentic Sangría". Sangría is a party drink designed to get your guests drunk.. really cheaply. It is usually made using cheap red wine, cheap spirits(Usually whiskey, or brandy) and the cheapest fruit you have lying around, usually apples, oranges and peaches, which are too old and soft to eat. If it still doesn't taste too good, then add some sugar and cinnamon.

You can always spot the British tourist in a bar on the Costa del sol(and no..it's not the hankey on his head or the white sports socks with sandals) they will be the ones drinking the Sangría! Sangría to the Spanish is what "Punch" is to the English speaking countries, a great social lubricant for a big house party but something you would never dream of ordering in a bar. Bar served Sangría is aimed exclusively to the tourists and is changed appropiately. Bar owners know tourists will pay over the odds for Sangría, because they see it as being "Spanish" You often won't actually be getting Sangría but "Tinto Verano" which is a cheap red wine, topped up with lemonade, a lot of ice then some fruit thrown in!...You are better off making it yourself!

This recipe will help you create a very nice summer "Party Sangría" for your BBQ's and social gatherings with the only difference being ..you are using quality ingrediants.

Ingredients (Small Party size):

2 (75ml) Bottles of red rioja.
1Ltr of lemonade.
1/2 cup of Cointreau.
1/2 cup of White rum.
1/2 cup Brandy.
2 cups of orange juice(Freshly squeezed).
1/2 cup white sugar.
2 Sliced oranges.
2 Sliced lemons.
2 Lemons squeezed for juice.
2 sliced limes.
1 Peach remove stone and chop.
1 Pear and 1 apple both cored and chopped.
1 cup of fresh strawberries topped and quartered.
2 cinnamon sticks.

Method:

Place all of the fruit pieces and juice, brandy, cointreau, white rum, sugar, and orange juice into a large bowl, stir gently until the sugar dissolves, cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
Add the red wine, cinnamon sticks and lemon juice, again cover and refrigerate for a further 2-3 hours.
Before serving add the lemonade chilled and the quartered strawberries. Serve over ice, spooning the fruit into the glass as you pour.

Allioli

Allioli is a paste like cold sauce from Catalonia, The Balearic Islands and Valencia, it is now produced in abundence all over spain as an accompaniment for grilled or fried fish, shellfish, Paellas, salads, potatoes and snails to name just a few. Allioli means "Garlic and oil" in Catalan and is made by pounding garlic olive oil and salt with a large mortar and pestle to a smooth textured paste, traditionally it doesn't contain eggs, as in the Provencal "Aioli" but most contempary recipes now suggest the use of eggs to allow faster and easier mixing, this also provides a smoother sauce and gives the sauce a nice sheen, for these reasons, I will be including an egg yolk in my recipe today.

Ingredients:

Large mortar and pestle

1 Egg yolk

3 Cloves of garlic

1 250ml virgin olive oil

A pinch of salt

Method:

Peel and place garlic cloves into mortar along with salt, grind to a paste. Seperate the egg yolk from the white and add the yolk to the garlic paste and mix. Now add the olive oil a little at a time as for mayonnaise(an extra pair of hands can be useful to slowly drizzle in the oil as you mix the sauce with the pestle). Remember to always stir in the same direction, continue until you have a thick, mayonnaise-like sauce, enjoy..!